Air-lift pump



Patented June 15, 1926.

RALPH H..TUCKER, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. y

AIR-LIFT PUMP.

Application led `.Tune 9, 1924. Serial No.. 718,794.

This invention consists of the novel fea# tures herein shown, described and claimed.

The .leading object is to make an .air

l pump for deep Wells having the largest practical piston area in proportion to the size of the oil tubing string.

Another object is to make an improved air driven pump piston and cylinder mechanism for that type of deep well pumps in which the oil tubing string is provided with a seat for -the pump mechanism and the pump mechanism is connected to the air pipe and lowered into the tubing and has a shoulder to rest upon the seat so that the entire .pump mechanism may be inserted or removed by operating the air pipe.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the drawings and specification.

y The drawings illustrate an air pump for deep wells embodying the principles of my present invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical diametrical section of a well, a. well casing andthe air driven pump.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The details of construction and operation shown in the drawings are as follows:

The well hole 1 and the well casing 2 ymay be any of the usual constructions and conditions.

The oil tubing string 3 may be of any desired size that will pass freely into the well casing 2; A reducer coupling 4 is placed upon the lower end of the oil well string 3and has a beveled internal seat 5" within the vertical plane of the chamber 6 in the oil well string. A pump cylinder housing 7 is screwed upwardly into the i'educer coupling 4 and has a perforated cap 8 uponits lower end. The air pipe 9 is a l string of practically the same length as the oil tubing string 3 and may be of any de" siredsizethat will pass freely into the oil tubing string v3. A spring seat l0 fits against the lower end of the air pipe 9. An expansive coil spring 11 fits upwardly against the spring seat 10. A hollow plunger buffer 12 lits against the spring- 11 and has radial slots 13 formed from its lower end and producing teeth 14. .A nipple 15 is screwed upon the lower end of the air pipe 9 and has a shoulder 16 engaging the spring seat 10. A spring housing 17' extends d0Wnder 18 against which the iiange 19 of the plunger 12 engages so as to support the plunger and sprin A cylinder 20 extends downwardly from the housing 17 and has a spider 21 with-a beveled finished outer face fitting upon the seat 5 to support the pump mechanism and the air pipe 9. A piston cylinder supportmg member 22 is screwed Aupon the spider 21, there being ports 23 leading through the spider from the cylinder chamber 24. A piston cylinder head 25 is screwed into the lower end of the supporting member 22 and a piston cylinder 26 is screwed upon the head 25 against the member 22. A plug wardly from the nipple 15 and has a shoul- 27 is screwed into the-lower end of the cylinder 26. A chamber 28 is forme-d from the upper face of the plug 27. An expansive 'spring 29 is mounted in the chamber. A buffer 30 is mounted upon the s ring 29l and has a flange 31 extending om its lower part. A ring 32 is screwed into the i the topy of the chamber 28 to engagethe flange 31 and limit the upward movement of the buier under the tension of the spring 29. .Teeth 33 extend upwardly from the buffer 30, the upper ends of the teeth being all on a level.

' A piston 34 is slidingly mounted in the cylinder 26 and has ahollow stem 35 extendingA upwardly slidingly through the cylinder head 25 and slidingly into the cylinder 20. A valve 36 fits slidingly in the hollow'of the stem-35 and has a head 37 with a fiat lower face adapted to fit upon the upper verds of the teeth 33. The head 37 has a beveled upper outer face 38 to t a beveled` valve seat 39 formed in the lower end of the hollow stemV ,35, so that when the piston 34 is down with the head 37 upon the teeth 33, the head 37 is in engagement with the seat 39'to close the passage around the valve 36 in the-stem 35. Ports 40 are formed through the stem 35 above the eylin der head 25. Grooves 41 are formed longitudinally in the periphery ofthe valve 36 from the head 37 upwardly to points above the ports' 40. l.

I n forming the grooves 41, webs 42 are linserted across the upper ends of the grooves to ports 43 above the web/s. The webs 42 form port closures and cover the ports. 40

los

Iwith the grooves extending inside of the webs when the air pressure is on to raisethepisv ton 34, and uncover the ports 40 after' the air oilt below the piston 34.

The valve 36 is tubular and when the head i 37 is seated, the valve 36 extends above the stem 35 and has a head 44 closing the upper end of a chamber 45 of the valve, and the head has a iiange 46 to engage the upper end of the stem 35 and p orts 47 below 'the flange, so that when the piston 34 is down, the head 44 israised and the air pressure coming down'the pipe 9 will pass through the ports 47, through the chamber 45, through the teeth 33 to an expansion chamber 48 between the plug 27 and the piston 34, and the air press'ure will raise the pis-ton 34 to drive the oil out of the chamber 49 between the pis-1 ton 34 and the cylinder head 25.

An annular plate 50 itsfupon the head 25 and covers outlet ports 51 and 52 formed through the cylinder head 25.

Bolts 53 have heads 54. Expansion coil. springs 55 are mounted uponI 4rthe bolts against the heads 54. Bores '56 areformed from the upper face of the head and the v bolts and springs are inserted into the bores.

Spring seats 57 are screwed into the bores The plate 50 is placed in position with fthe bolts 53 extending through the plate and nuts 58. are screwed down upon the bolts against the plate.

The tensions of the springs are exerted to hold the plate 50 down toy close the outlet orts 51 and 52 and support the loadof oil -ln the oil tubing string 3 4'and chamber 24 and form outlet check valves so that whenthe piston 34 moves up, the oil in the chamber 49 will pass Ithrough theports 51 and 52 and upwardly. y

A plate259 tits against the lower `face of the head 25 and covers elbow-shaped inlet ports 60 and 61 leading from an inlet oil chamber 62 to the chamber 49.' Bolts and sprin s 63 and 64 hold the late 59 ieldingg P Y i -to pass upwardly through the grooves 41 ly in position so as to form lnlet check valves to hold the pressure in the chamber 49 when the piston 34 is going up, and to let the oil into the chamber 49 when the piston 34 is' going down. The oil chamber 62 communicates with the oil in the well casing 2 through the perforated cap 8 soythat` as fast as the oil is umped from the chamber 62, more oil will ow upwardly through the cap 8.

When the piston 34 goes upwardly, the head 44 will strike the buii'er -12 and the valve -36 will be moved downwardly in the stem 35, thereby closing the ports 47 and moving the port closures 42 to open the ports 40 and moving the head 37 away from the seat 39, thereby allowing the air inthe chamber 48 and through the ports 43 and. 40 into the oil y in the chamber 24 and the ai-r will pass upv wardly through the oil in rthe tubing string 3 to the point of discharge, and this passage of alr upwardly through the oil materially lightens the oil and stimulates. the flow or -stem 35 andthe valve 36 downwardly until the head 37 strikes the butler teeth 33 and continued downward movement of the stem 35 :will bring the vhead 37 into the seat 39, then close the ports 40 Aand open the ports 47 so that the air pressure will pass down- 'zllardly to the chamber 48 and again raise e tion between the stem 35and the valve 36 rto carry the valve with the stem until the valve strikes either the butter 12 or the buffer 30.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed. y l

-I claim:

1. In an airv pump, the combination with an oil tubing string and an air pipe string, of a reducer secured to the'lower end voir' the oil tubing, an internal seat in the reducer, a housing extending .downwardly from the reducer, a spider secured to the lower end of the air pipe and engaging the piston 34. There will be suilicient frioseat, a tubular cylinder extending from the air pipe through the spider, acylinder supporting member extending y:froml the spider downwardly, a cylinder head at the lower end of the supporting member and having inlet and outlet check valves, a piston cylinde'r extending downwardly from the cylinder, means forming a head in the lower end of the cylinder, a spring buffer in the head, a piston in the piston cylinder, a hollow stem extending upwardly from the piston slidingly through the -irst cylinder -head and slidingly into the air pipe cylinder, there being air outlet ports through the hollow stem above the firstcylinder head. anda hollow valve closed at itsupper end and extending slidingly thro-ugh the hollow stem and adapted to bereciprocated in the stem by engagement-with the `buffers as the 'piston goes up and down, there being' ports i an upper cylinder headand a lowercylinder head, a piston in the piston cylinder be-' tugeen thevheads, a hollow stem extending from the piston's'lidingly through vthe upper head and' slidingly into the air cylinder, a valve slidingly mounted through the hollow stem, intake and outlet check valves in the upper head, `spring buffers for reciprocating the valve in the stem, there being ports and port closing means operated bythe reciprocation of the valve `for ad mitting air from the airpipe to the expan- V piston and for shutting o l i I sion chamberwbelowv the ipiston to. raise the sure and exhausting the pressure from the expansion chamber to lower the piston.

'3. In an air pump, a piston cylinder-"having an imperforate lower head and an upper head provided with intake and outlet check valves, a piston in the piston cylinder, an air pipe, andmeans for -leading the@ air from the air pipev to the .expansion chamber below ,the piston and for admitting the air pressure to, and exhausting the air pressure from, the expansion chamber below the piston. i

4. An air lift pump comprising a barrel, an air pipe communicating with said barrel and providing an air cylinder, a piston vreciprocable in said barrel and having al hollow stem reciprocable insaid air cylinder, a'valve closure adapted to. open and close f said hollow stem whereby air may be admitted to said barrel below said piston to lift the piston, or may be caused to move said iston, stem and` valve closure downward y by exerting pressure upon said stem and valve closure Within said air cylinder, means including check valves for admitting fluid to said barrel above said piston and discharging it therefrom, and means for discharging the air from said barrel whicl is below said piston.

5. An air lift pump comprising a barrel and an air cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said barrel having a hollow stem reciprocable insaid air cylinder,-valve\means cooperating with said stem for .forming a piston in said cylinder or permitting air to pass through said stem into said barrel below said piston, means for actuating said valve means, means including check valves for admitting fluid -to said barrel above said piston and discharging it therefrom, andv means for releasing the air in the barrel which 4'is `below said piston.

6. An air-lift pump comprising a vbarrel having its lower-end closed, a headwithin said barrel, inlet and outlet check valves mounted upon said head, an ai r cylinder,`

means for supplying air tosaid air cylinder,

, a p1ston reciprocable in said barrel below sai-d head and' having a hollow stem reci rocable in said air cylinder, means adapte to open and close said stem whereby said stem and piston may be forced downwardly by the air in lsaid air cylinder or air may be i admitted tol said barrel below said piston,

and means for discharging-the air in Said barrel which is below said piston.

the air pipe pres- ,A

and means for discharging the air in said barrel which is below said piston into said barrel above said head.

8. An air lift pump comprising a barrel' having its bottom closed, a piston reciprocable in said barrel, supply means for supplying fluid pressure to the barrel, valve means actuated upon movement of the, pist-on for causing the fluid pressure to alternately move the piston upwardl and then I i downwardly, and means inclu ing check valves for admitting fluid to said barrel and discharging it therefrom.

9. An air lift pump comprising a barrel having a closed bottom, an air cylinder, 'a p1ston reciprocable in said barrel and having a hollow stem reciprocable in said air' cylinder, means for alternately opening and closing sai-d hollow stem, whereby air may 4force said stem 'and piston downwardly when saidstem is closed and air may be omitted to said barrel below said piston for i forcing said stem and piston upwardly when ioo said stem is open, means for admittingy a i fluid to said barrel above said pistonv upon the downward movement of said piston, means for causing the fluid to be discharged upwardly upon the upward movement of the piston, and means for releasing the airl inthe barrel below the piston.

10. An air lift pump comprising a barrel having a-closedbottom, an air cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said barrel and having a hollow stem reciprocable in said air cylinder, means for alterna-telyopening and closing said hollow stem, whereby air may force said 'stem and 'piston downwardly when said stem is closed and air may be admitted to said barrel below said piston for forcing said stem and pistonupwardly when said s tem is open, means for admitting a fluid to said barrelabove said piston upon the downward movement of said piston, means for causing the fluid to be discharged upwardly .upon the upward movement ofthe piston, and means for releasing the air in the barrel' below the piston into y the lifted fluid.

11. An air lift pump comprising a barrel having a closed bottom, supplyl means for supplying fluid pressure to the barrel, conductingmeans for conducting the fluid pressure through the piston to the barrel below ducting means -so that the fluid pressure may force the piston downwardly and then upwardly, means including check valves for admitting fluid `t0 said barrel above. said piston anddischarging it therefrom, and means for releasing the fluid pressure from said barrel below said piston.

'12. An air pump comprising a.' barrel haying a closed lower end, a piston reciprocable in said barrel, means closingthe upper end of the barrel provided with outlet and inlet check valves Afor admitting fluid to the barrel abovethe piston and discharging it therefrom,y and means for alternately supplying and releasing pressure to the barrel below the piston to produce its recipro-l cation.v

In testimony whereofI have signed `my i0 name to this specification.

' RALPH H. TUCKER. 

